The Roads all Lead Back to Family
by NirvanaGirl
Summary: the title explains everything:) shippers and characters dynamics all come into play.
1. The First Road, please turn right

Diclaimer- I would not in a million years admit to creating Riley, and anything after BTVS season three, and Angel season 1.5(?) spare maybe a few episodes and cool moments. But I do own the new Riley, and his wife*wink* oh and I own James Marsters and David Boreanaz, cause they're so damned hot! Grrrr at them  
Pairings- read and you shall find  
Feedback- Crave it want it, but don't flame on grammar, or punctuation, cause I just don't have none or my shippers:) e-mail: Retrogirl@superheros.as(Cause I'm a super hero to!*rolls eyes* as if its even worth it anymore…)  
A/N- there are more throughout the story, they might get confusing(the a/n) oh I am a little insane, and have strange views on things, and I want to kill Saint Corduffy, and Dork Angel…  
Setting- 5 years from now…  
Spoilers- I guess anything is fair game, this is sort of AU  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Angel!" Cordy screamed to her friend upstairs. Angel had been human for a good 3 months but he still didn't call or speak of the one he truly wanted to share his humanity with. Cordelia rolled her eyes at the thought holding a five year old boys hand. "I don't understand how Los Angeles is cold but it is, if you don't get back here right now young man your…" The brown haired, blue eyed pale kid came bouncing towards her immediately. "That's my boy…" She said kneeling down. "ANGEL IF YOU DON'T GET DOWN HERE…" She turned back to the kid. "Mama Cordy." He said sweetly hugging her trying to avoid the warm clothing drill. "Give me a kiss." She asked. He complied giving her a sloppy kiss. "Now here," She took his arms out putting on a little tan coat, and black gloves. "Mommmmmmmmmmy! Swtop it!" He complained. "No." She said simply putting a hat on to. "There you go little man, now you can go play with Uncle Gunn okay?" She asked still kneeling. He nodded happily and kissed her cheek running of . Cordy turned back the stairs. "Ang----" She stopped to see her best friend coming down there stairs. "About time" She said hushed. "Sheesh, we need to go get Connors presents like NOW! God you take longer than I do to get ready…that's saying something…well he seems to suspect nothing except a fun day with Uncle Wes and Gunn and Mommy-Fred, well he does wonder why he isn't coming but he will get us next Saturday, with Fred and Gunn and Wes go gift shopping and then Fred can go." Cordy said all the while gathering her money she saved the entire year, her purse and make-up hurriedly running in front of Angel. "Don't just stand there! Come now!" Cordy said running out. Angel chuckled. "Yes ma'am" He joked following her.  
  
"So you are coming home this time?" Buffy asked hopefully eyeing her little sister over her smoothie. "Yes." A 20 year old Dawn said laughing. "Thank you so much for taking me shopping in a Los Angeles mall….I mean UCLA and all I never have time this is so COOL" Dawn beamed acting 15 again. She did it partly on her own accord partly cause she knew it made Buffy feel better. "Dawnie sorry to inform you, but you have been to this mall many , many times when we were younger." She said. "Yeah and I wasn't real." Dawn said jokingly, they finally got to that point. "Mmm food that's not pizza or gum." Dawn said contently eating her large plate of sweet and sour chicken, a banana and peanut butter and steamed rice( I know weird combo but this is dawn…) "YOU'VE ONLY BEEN EATING PIZZA?" Buffy scolded. "Most of the…hey I am living the dorm life Kay?" Dawn asked. "No not okay, you need to eat food, me and Willow ate real food, what about the campus cafeteria?" Buffy asked. Dawn pulled a lock of her shaggy brown hair from her face (Think Willow, season 4ish) Buffy laughed pushing her now waist length golden curls past her shoulders. "How normal this is, this is …normal." Dawn reached to clasp her sisters hand smiling. "I know."  
  
"Can we get something to eat, I'm hungry, and you Mr. haven't been human long will need to eat to endure shopping with Cordelia Chase." She said pulling his arm to go to food court. "Okay, okay…" 


	2. Secrets Revealed

Disclaimer-Look at last chapter:)  
A/N –this chapter is short and kinda boring but what the hell? It leads to more.  
  
  
"Alright, Dawn you have 50 shopping bags, and I told the gang I would get you home at 5:00 , and since its a 2 hour drive, we'd better get going did you pack everything?" Buffy asked  
. "Yeeeessss, but come on one more store, I am college gal, you don't want me wearing the same…"   
"Dawn no, come on." She said getting up to throw away their trash  
. At that moment a long haired brunette bumped into Dawn looking up. She tilted her head, knowing this girl from somewhere. "Cordy?!" Dawn exclaimed.   
  
It clicked. "Dawnie hey!" She hugged the younger woman seeing the slayer not far in front of here.  
  
"Buffy." She smiled. "Long time no see." She said.  
  
" You can say that again." The blonde said. They surprised each other and hugged.  
  
"Jeez I haven't talked to the Scooby's since…" She waited and counted in her head. "Since 2 years ago, when we figured out all this stuff pertaining to the hellmouth. That was just on the phone." Cordy said.  
  
"Yeah…how is everyone?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Everyone is good, we are shopping for Connors gifts, oh!" She stopped realizing something. She shoved her finger out that had a large diamond ring on it. Buffy's heart stopped, with Angel having a son, Darla and not seeing any of them , or knowing two, since right after she died, if Angel and Cordy… "Wesley proposed!" She giggled. "What…he is not as a bad of kisser as he used to be, and, god he is so good to me, that's why I could afford like half of Connors gifts this year."  
  
"That's great Cordy, congratulations, so is he here with you, I never did make amends with that man." Buffy said  
  
"Nope me and Angel came, Fred, Gunn and Wes are all playing with Connor today."  
  
"Oh," Buffy said searching for a way to get out of this conversation, at that moment her ex came up. "Cordy here is your yogurt, diet coke, salad with non fat dressing and a slice of Sbarro's pizza…"   
  
He saw the blonde standing next to his best friend. "Buffy, Dawn." He acknowledged the silent girl behind Buffy. "Hey Angel." The 20 year old smiled. "You're all grown up, I hardly recognized you." Angel said avoiding eye contact with Buffy.  
  
Dawn beamed at this, forgetting any anger she had kept towards Angel and hugged him. "Stop being a stranger okay? Come and visit once every…5 years, I do go to UCLA you know." Dawn said, the now human hugged her back. Dawn backed up startled.  
  
"Angel…your warm, your hearts beating…" She looked past him outside. "And its daylight, oh my god YOUR HUMAN!" She watched as her sister passed out. 


	3. Always more to reveal

Dedication- To the reviewer who said she was expecting another chapter…soon! I got two for ya babe.  
  
  
"Buffy!" Dawn said running to her sister. A furious Cordy turned towards Angel. "I thought you said you wrote her about this!" She screamed at him hitting him in the arm.  
  
He ignored her and went to Buffy's side lifting her head in his lap. Him and Dawn both kept telling her to wake up as Cordy knelt to. A small crowd went gathered around him. Cordy put her hand on Angel's back. "Let's get her out of here." Angel picked up Buffy in his arms, as Cordy helped Dawn up, they left the court with a chorus of "Is she alright." "What happened?" "Bleedin' Americans, always rendering unconscious." "Are you taking her to the hospital…?"  
  
Angel laid Buffy in the back of the convertible getting in with her. "Shit" Cordy cussed under her breath. "Angel, sorry you have to drive…remember." She held up a cast hand. "I meant to ask you about that." Dawn said and added. "You guys do realize that I am 20, I the one who drives, God wouldn't ever put keys in my sisters hands. Cordy grabbed Dawns wallet seeing the driving license. "Fine I will give you instructions where to go."  
  
"Buffy come on wake up." Angel pleaded handing Dawn the keys. She looked at her sister and Angel. "She didn't crack her head…did she?" She asked timidly standing against a car next to Angels in the mall's parking lot. "I don't think so, sorry Dawn---"  
  
"Hey not your fault, I'm the one who screamed ANGELS HUMAN. Not you, I am mad at you for one thing…why didn't you call?" Dawn asked amazed looking at him in the sunlight, she was never that close to him but he was always nice to her, and would talk to her like she actually understood something, kind of like Spike but different. He might of caused Buffy even more pain then Riley, but she felt obliged to forgive him, cause, Buffy still had that dang cross, and the jacket, and a box of letters and a movie ticket that she eventually found and tried to rent thinking it to be romantic or gory, but it was actually quite dirty…actually that scared her a little then.  
  
"I've been asking him that for 3 months." Cordy injected. "THREE months! Holy shit Angel! Why, please just tell me why?" She thought of how Buffy usally avoided the topic of Angel espically when she moved back to Los Angeles, she rarely visited here , and tried to avoid finding where Angel or their dad lived. But she knew, by some sisterly vibe she knew that a human Angel would make her have a semblance of peace and happiness that she had yet to accomplish since coming back.  
  
"Cause I did OKAY!" He screamed at her. She jumped back into the other car a little bit, not ever, not even as Angelus had he ever, ever screamed at her or gave her a reason to be scared. "She looked happy for once, she had you and Willow, Xander, everyone, and she…had Spike I saw it through the window."  
  
"God that's why Willow said Buffy was all weird one night…" Then it dawned on her(no pun intended) "YOU THINK BUFFY WAS WITH SPIKE… AND HAPPY!" She laughed a little yet it was painful. "That ended almost 5 years ago Angel, Spike is like our brother, he watches out for us, why would you think that?" Dawn asked fearful a spiteful Spike told him so.  
  
Still checking Buffy's pulse every so often he answered. "Because I saw him kissing her on the cheek and they were dancing around merrily with the rest of the gang, some blonde girl with Willow, which I think Cordy said her name …was Tara, and Xander and Anya, watching some movie."  
  
"They were watching Moulin Rouge its like a traditional thing you moron! He dances with me to, it's a musical and we sing and kiss and act silly, nothing romantic, its like a Scooby movie that I had to reveal to the gang that Spike watched with me…then Xander came to like it. God even ex-vampires are dense." Dawn said rolling her eyes.  
  
Cordelia had the strongest urge to smack her best friend. She knew he had to try, he knew that he loved Buffy. "Angels just about the densest." She agreed.  
  
He sat in silent shock as Dawn hopped in the driver's seat. Finally Buffy awoke. "Ow, hey Daw---where am I Angel?" She asked sitting up. "What are…she looked up at the blazing sun shutting her eyes against the brightness and the headache she had. "You're…you're human…" She sputtered. 


	4. Connor

A/N- Seriously sorry, bad grammar, maybe dyslexia(sp?) and no beta reader, if interested e-mail me- Retrogirl@superheros.as, again sorry if this causes problems.  
  
  
Cordy, Dawn. Buffy and Angel sat in awkward silence after returning. "BASTARD!" Buffy broke the silence. Her sister even jumped, the tone of Buffy's voice.  
  
"Buffy let me…" "What , explain, oh please got to hear this, why Angel decided to not tell me something…. Again, making decisions for me again," She swallowed. "I am 26 years old Angel, and whatever we had must of meant nothing to you, yeah sure we moved on, we have different lives, but did you just stop caring? And the age thing, didn't seem to bother you with you whole Cordy tryst."  
  
Cordy bowed her head. "That was a mistake." Angel said, Cordy shot him a quick hurt glance. "We were both lonely, don't get me wrong, I love Cordelia, she has been there for me for eight years, she's my seer, she's a mother to Connor and I would die for her without blinking," Cordelia smiled at him warmly encouraging him, why Buffy eyes teared up. " but she is also my best friend. We were going through a awkward time and we simply don't feel that way for each other, I told you Buffy there is only one girl I loved in all my years, its still you."  
  
Dawn smiled a little. "But that doesn't explain the whole not telling me, if you love me so damned much, what's with the no knowledge?" Buffy asked. "He thought you were…" Dawn laughed getting a glare from her older sister. "Get this, thought you were happy with Spike." The young woman burst in a fit of giggles. Buffy eyes went wide.  
  
"You can't be serious, why?" Buffy asked her deep green eyes glowing. "Because…its …" "He was being a moron, it was entirely stupid and I told him a zillion times to get his ass to Sunnydale but here you guys are, so how about you two go talk?"  
  
All three of the other occupants in the room gave the seer a strange look. "What? So yeah never been the big Buffy and Angel show supporter, but after everything…I know you two stubborn jack asses love each other. " (oh yeah everyone has language now…) At that moment a little chubby cheek dark haired boy ran inside.   
  
"Yo little guy come on no running in the hotel." A handsome black man said. A short woman with a sweet not so annoying southern Texas accent rolled her eyes loungining her arms around his neck. "Since when did you become such a worry wart?" She asked. "Since we got that little chap five years ago." A still ever so crisp British accent said.   
  
Relieved the slayer knew someone jumped up to greet Wesley her sister following in suit. "Buffy." He regarded surprised. "And… is that you Dawn? My you have surely become a beautiful young woman, you look a lot like you older sister." Dawn beamed at the reassurance that she was indeed the slayers kid sister. "Hey Mr. I got a stick up my British arse." Dawn teased with what got her in trouble when she had known Wesley.  
  
"Hi Wesley." Buffy regarded. "You're Buffy?" The southern woman asked sticking her hand out. "I've heard a lot and yet little about you, well its what Angel does, keeps to himself but of course you know this, " Gunn gave her his patented 'honey your babbling look' "I'm Fred, this is Gunn." She introduced her and her boyfriend.   
  
"Well I guess you found out I am Buffy. This is my little sister Dawn." Gunn looked both of the women. "Damn I thought with all the stories you be all muscles like Chyna(sp?) Or something, but I like what I see." Fred elbowed him. "Ow!" He complained.   
  
Connor had made his way away from the strange two people. "Mama Cordy, Daddy! Mummy-Fred and Uncle Gunn gave me ice cream, and we had wots of fwun!" He enthused.  
  
"Not that it is not nice to see you Buffy, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly are you doing here?" Wesley asked. "Picking up Dawn from UCLA, bumped into Cordelia and Angel…in sunlight." Buffy said. "Oh dear I take it he didn't tell you." She shook her head.  
  
"Connor there is some one I'd like you to meet." Buffy turned her attention back to the little boy falling in love immediately. She knelt down as Angel took his tiny hand. "You must be Connor." She said warmly looking in the child's intense blue eyes. "you look a lot like your daddy you know that?" Angel beamed with fatherly pride.  
  
Surprisingly the little child let go of his fathers hand and went directly into Buffy's arms. "Are you my real mommy?" He asked, only Buffy being that close, and Angels still amazingly catching ears heard. Buffy's face showed all her emotion as she pulled the son Angel had to her. "Well," She said trying to compose herself. "We'll have to work that out with Daddy." She said looking at the man she knew heard everything. He looked back at her right before her sister jumped out of a conversation with Fred, Wesley, and Gunn. "BUFFY! We were supposed to be in Sunnydale an hour ago."  
  
Connor looked at the slayer. "Dwo you live in Sunnydale, are you Buffy?" The little boy asked sadly. Buffy sent a stressed look to everyone. "Anyone for a road trip?" Buffy and Angel asked in harmony. 


	5. And when we begin to take the road

Disclaimer-As before the song isn't mine either its Marina Sorbara's. Its rather good and I recommend it highly. I thank Cezzy for the song! She recommended it. It will be used completely in the next chapter. Oh and the 'cookie spout' Fred has in this story is originally from me and Dru's story where Fred and Spike were expecting their first child (don't ask, lol) so Roni wrote it,not me! Ha can't kill me now, can ya?:: sticks tounge out childishly then....::*runs as a short Filipino runs after her with a stake to prove oh just how much she can really kill her*   
Dedictation!!!- To my very first beta Goldy you rock girl. I used most of your suggestions...  
Feedback- Only if you want to see more, wait I take that back, send it my way anyways, e-mail and review or just review- E-mail-Retrogirl@superheros.as  
  
  
"It's snowing on the west side   
Let me take you for a ride  
I'll be Bonnie and you'll be Clyde  
See if we can get ourselves killed before we die"  
  
  
Buffy often wondered what he feelings towards the the man she was supposed to be helping pack were. She leaned back against the wall.   
  
They weren't characters in the movie, they weren't all good. Hell they could of taken the easy road, the could be Bonnie and Clyde. Well not Bonnie and Clyde, but Buffy and Angel. Buffy…. Angel, it still sounded right.   
  
What had she got herself into?. But they could be, they could have been infamous, Buffy and Angel, Angel and Buffy. But still something held them to a never ending duty of love for a world that should've ended long ago. Still there was something making all the what if's and could have beens.  
  
  
"Buffy…" Angel's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.   
  
She smiled at him as he cocked his head at her. "Sure your you're  
up for a road trip old man?" She teased.  
  
"You'll pay for that." He promised. How did they get so comfortable with each other again? Was she missing something? Angel looked to the little boy sleeping on his bed next to his suitcase. "He really adores you." He said softly.  
  
"He's going to be a heart breaker when he grows up." Buffy chose not then to tell him that she fell in love with the little boy as soon as she saw him, and that she still loved his father.  
  
Angel smiled and continued folding clothes for him and his son. Buffy,deciding not to help pack, plopped down next to Connor and watched Angel. "I still think you should of should've told me." She informed, her voice quiet, even.   
  
"I know."  
  
"Its just, okay I don't think I am that starry eyed high school girl you left behind in high school. A lot has happened to me in those eight years. And you weren't completely wrong, I was with," her voice cracked. "With Spike when I was resurrected. I was just so confused…angry, depressed, but nothing can excuse what I did."  
  
Angel stayed quiet, zipping his suitcase sitting next to her. "I used him, God, he loved me and I just used him, I needed to feel…something, anything, it could be sexual and it could be pain and that's what he gave me, but I wasn't numb anymore, that's all that mattered. I didn't care how much I was abusing myself or Spike…. You know he changed right? I mean… you knew about us and… just not my reasons…" She trailed off. He nodded. "And you know none of that meant even a small percentage of what we had, what we may have again?" Her voice was tinged with a long last hope. Angel picked up her hand squeezing it.   
  
"What we may have again…." he trailed off and stared at her thoughtfully. "It's a long road Buffy. Maybe one obstacle has left our way, but we still have more things to work out. We've both changed, grown, and our life's are different then what they used to be. Our feelings may be different, too… do you still want… do you still want to take that road?   
  
She shut her eyes tightly. "It's the only road I ever wanted to take, the only one I still do." She opened her sparkling green eyes…  
"Is this…" she waved a free hand. "How we start?"   
  
"I believe so." He said with a small smile.   
  
"This is weird." She laughed.He cupped her cheek, which she instinctively nuzzled into. "I mean, we haven't been together in eight years and haven't held any contact in at least five or six." She said. ."Then I come bump into your human self, and boom we are trying again."  
  
"Is this what you want?" He asked.   
  
Always."  
  
  
  
  
"Dinner with the Scooby's." Cordy said drifting back in memories. Wesley laughed at his fiancée who was not in his world at the present moment. He shook her arm slightly.   
  
"Honey we shouldn't keep Buffy and Dawn any longer, and I am sure our food is cold." He said.   
  
She snapped out of it. "Right." She smiled. They went to get their bags into the car, so they could pick up Fred and Gunn.  
  
"Fred, girl, ya alright?" Gunn asked his girlfriend who was in the bathroom. She came out, her face pale her hair disheveled.  
"Fine." She avoided his eyes and continued packing.   
  
"Fred…" He got to her but she didn't turn around.   
  
"I'm fine… just needed to toss my cookies. I never got that phrase, did you?" She said, turning to face him.   
  
"I mean, why toss completely goaway? But if they were badly baked… then maybe…" Gunn put a silencing finger to his girlfriends pale dried lips. "Ssshh, are you sure you want to go, honey I am sure…"   
  
"I'm fine… promise okay?" She asked in her normally sweet Texas girl was now scratchy.   
  
"Alright, if you say so, but I am still taking care of you." he promised taking her into his arms andkissing her forehead.   
  
new paragraph"I know." She paused a moment. "So let's go." 


	6. Merry Christmas Eve

Willow giggled as she laid on the couch her head rested in her girlfriends lap. "But I want my present now." She whined.  
  
"I know." Tara smiled slyly looking down at the amazing women she had been with for about eight years, to think about it, there was a anniversary coming up.  
  
The 'Summers' home was decorated in the most merry way. They got more indestructible stuff so it wasn't so hard to clean after the common demon break ins. They now had a fireplace, and along the mantle there was frames assorting from large to small. The first one was a medium one of Willow and Tara, there foreheads touching slightly so you could still see there smiles, the red and blonde hair making a beautiful contrast. The next picture was a large one of Xander, Buffy and Willow in sophomore year. A cute one of Willow and Buffy smiling and hugging. One of Xander holding Anya's pregnant stomach, a picture of Joyce, Dawn, and Buffy when they were kids. A picture of Willow jumping on Buffy's back, a picture of the entire Sunnydale gang, Spike, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Giles. A picture of Buffy and Giles. Of Buffy and Xander. Of Cordelia, Xander, Buffy, Willow, Oz, Wesley and Angel at the prom. There was more of same cute assortments. Christmas-ey decorations adorned the house. There were blankets and pillows all over the living room where the gang laid.  
  
"When did Buffy say Nibblet would be home?" Spike asked , not being able to wait to see his best friend.  
  
"An hour or so?" Tara asked looking at her lover.  
  
"About."  
  
"Where are they?" Xander asked.  
  
"No one said."  
  
"And Giles is flying in when?" Tara asked.  
  
"Tomorrow morning. But Buffy doesn't think he'll be here until New Years Eve, so Ssshh." Willow staring mostly at Xander, which aroused a laugh out of Spike.  
  
"You just know he will blurt something out." Spike said laughing.  
  
"Can it dead boy junior." 


End file.
